International DRC army says it stopped attempted coup involving three US citizens

[Fluffernutter]

 

[Ichibanner]

I have it on good authority that Mister Reuben was only there to start a Deli sandwich shop.....

 

[Fluffernutter]

Anyone who tries to take over a worthless shithole like the DRC deserves everything they get.

But, the potential is huge. It is extremely rich in minerals

 

[JadeOwl]

Is sharing such information a part of the bilateral agreement between the US and DRC?

Ambassador Tamlyn should be specific in these statements.

I don’t know about bilateral agreements, but a quick google search shows me that both countries are parties to the The United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, which states in its Article 18, among other things:

1. States Parties shall afford one another the widest measure of mutual legal assistance in investigations, prosecutions and judicial proceedings in relation to the offences covered by this Convention as provided for in article 3 and shall reciprocally extend to one another similar assistance where the requesting State Party has reasonable grounds to suspect that the offence referred to in article 3, paragraph 1 (a) or (b), is transnational in nature, including that victims, witnesses, proceeds, instrumentalities or evidence of such offences are located in the requested State Party and that the offence involves an organized criminal group.

2. Mutual legal assistance shall be afforded to the fullest extent possible under relevant laws, treaties, agreements and arrangements of the requested State Party with respect to investigations, prosecutions and judicial proceedings in relation to the offences for which a legal person may be held liable in accordance with article 10 of this Convention in the requesting State Party.

3. Mutual legal assistance to be afforded in accordance with this article may be requested for any of the following purposes:
(a) Taking evidence or statements from persons;
(b) Effecting service of judicial documents;
(c) Executing searches and seizures, and freezing;
(d) Examining objects and sites;
(e) Providing information, evidentiary items and expert evaluations;
(f) Providing originals or certified copies of relevant documents and records, including government, bank, financial, corporate or business records;
(g) Identifying or tracing proceeds of crime, property, instrumentalities or other things for evidentiary purposes;
(h) Facilitating the voluntary appearance of persons in the requesting State Party;
(i) Any other type of assistance that is not contrary to the domestic law of the requested State Party.

It goes on for a while after that. As for offenses covered under Article 3, that articles states:

1. This Convention shall apply, except as otherwise stated herein, to the prevention, investigation and prosecution of:
(a) The offences established in accordance with articles 5, 6, 8 and 23 of this Convention; and
(b) Serious crime as defined in article 2 of this Convention; where the offence is transnational in nature and involves an organized criminal group.

2. For the purpose of paragraph 1 of this article, an offence is transnational in nature if:
(a) It is committed in more than one State;
(b) It is committed in one State but a substantial part of its preparation, planning, direction or control takes place in another State;
(c) It is committed in one State but involves an organized criminal group that engages in criminal activities in more than one State; or
(d) It is committed in one State but has substantial effects in another State.

So if there is any reason to suspect any aspect of this aborted coup was planned or carried out outside the DRC, then it is a transnational crime and subject to the Convention.

But that is just my layman’s interpretation, as I am no lawyer.

 

[LeonardoBjj]

US citizens face charges ‘punishable by death’ in alleged coup attempt in Congo​

Three US nationals on trial in Democratic Republic of Congo over events in May described as an attempted coup

From left, in blue shirts, Tyler Christian Thompson, Marcel Malanga and Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun face the court in Kinshasa on Friday. Photograph: Samy Ntumba Shambuyi/AP

More than 50 people, including three US citizens and a Belgian, have gone on trial in the Democratic Republic of Congo over what the army has described as an attempted coup.

The actions of the three Americans were “punishable by death”, Judge Freddy Ehume told the military court in the DRC capital, Kinshasa.

Marcel Malanga and Taylor Christian Thomson, both 21, and 36-year-old Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun were the first of the defendants to stand before the judge to hear the charges read out against them.

“These acts are punishable by death,” the presiding judge of the Kinshasa-Gombe military court told the three.

Another 50 or so defendants then took the stand one by one under a large tent in the grounds of the Ndolo military prison to hear the charges.


All appeared in blue-and-yellow prison uniforms at their trial, which started at about 11.40am local time and was followed closely by western diplomats, journalists and lawyers.

The alleged coup attempt occurred on 19 May, when armed men attacked the home of the economy minister, Vital Kamerhe, in the early hours before moving on to the nearby Palais de la Nation that houses President Felix Tshisekedi’s offices.

They were seemingly filmed brandishing the flag of Zaire – the name of the central African country during the rule of the dictator Mobutu Sese Seko – and chanting that Tshisekedi’s government was over.

The army later announced on national television that security forces had stopped “an attempted coup d’état”.

The alleged plot was led by Christian Malanga, a Congolese man who was a “naturalised American” and who was killed by security forces, the army spokesperson Gen Sylvain Ekenge said.

Malanga’s son, who is a US citizen, was one of the three Americans to face trial on Friday.

Ekenge said about 40 of the assailants, of “various nationalities”, had been arrested and a further four killed, including Christian Malanga.

The motive behind the alleged incident remains unclear but the government condemned it as an attempt to “destabilise” the vast country’s “institutions”.

Four women are among the accused, as well as at least one Belgian national, Jean-Jacques Wondo.


Wondo, a military expert of Congolese origin, was arrested two days after the events, on 21 May.

He is accused of being an “accomplice of Christian Malanga” by “providing transport” for the alleged putschists, his lawyer, Masingo Shela, said.

Wondo denied the charge against him and would defend himself, Shela added.

According to a court document, a total of 53 defendants are being tried, including Christian Malanga, even though he is dead.

The charges include “attack, terrorism, illegal possession of weapons and munitions of war, attempted assassination, criminal association, murder [and] financing of terrorism”, according to the document.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/a...citizens-trial-coup-democratic-republic-congo

 

[CantCucktheTuck]

That's not how you do coups these days.
first you have to have NGOs.

and open borders

 

[cottagecheesefan]

The 3 citizens are Victoria Nuland, Anthony Blinken, and Hunter Biden

 

[ColemanwastheGOAT]

Not possible. I've been told in the Ukraine thread that America would never orchestrate a coup like the several coups they have orchestrated in the past. Couldn't happen.

 

[NoSmilez]

I have it on good authority that Mister Reuben was only there to start a Deli sandwich shop.....

Call him by his proper name of Ocky.

 

[Michaelangelo]

I’m sure Trump would pardon these guys

 

[Andy Capp]

Not possible. I've been told in the Ukraine thread that America would never orchestrate a coup like the several coups they have orchestrated in the past. Couldn't happen.

LMAO @ this being done by "America" and not a bunch of Congolese ex-pats. Man you are one silly git.

 

[Belaya Smert]

I’m sure the Congo will be fine.
Right?

 

[Dalarna3]

Why else be in the Congo?

 

[Osculater]

Call him by his proper name of Ocky.

OMG! Neva neva nevaaaa!

 

[Osculater]

Why else be in the Congo?

The Ivory trade?

 

[NoSmilez]

OMG! Neva neva nevaaaa!

Neva forget the bev!